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08/29/2001 Archived Entry: "29-August-2001 -- WebWord Comment"

WebWord Comment -- A few days ago a WebWord reader sent me a note about Internet Explorer. He said that when he used to type in incorrect URLs in Internet Explorer, he was merely sent to an error page. End of story. However, he recently noticed that when he types in the wrong URL into Internet Explorer now, he is sent to an MSN page. I noticed the same damn thing. Now we're shown an actual MSN search page bearing the MSN logo. Maybe this isn't total bullshit, but it is certainly offensive. Unfortunately, since I am using their free software, they have me by the balls. How else is Microsoft controlling my browing experience? I think that I am going to have to start looking into alternative browsers. Don't be fooled, there are choices. But, I'm not sure how I could ever live without my Google toolbar. To run it, you need Internet Explorer 5.0 or 5.5.

Replies: 11 comments

Here's how you can do better: leave IE behind, and get Opera. Sometimes quirky with accepting data into firms, but it has Google built in to the toolbar, *and* it has an icon in the tool bar that lets you toggle images off and on for faster surfing (and thus unnecessary to go into arcane menus).

Posted by Frank Lynch @ 08/29/2001 09:14 PM EST

I use Opera on Windows, Konqueror on Linux, and iCab on MacOS. Each has a way to easily search using the search engine of your choice. In Opera, for instance, I can type "g microsoft is trying to control the internet" and hit return, and I am redirected to Google's results page immediately. Different letters go to different search engines. Most other browsers have something similar. The only reason Google needed to develop the Google Toolbar For IE in the first place is that Microsoft does not provide such basic functionality.

Posted by Mark Pilgrim @ 08/29/2001 11:54 PM EST

Does Opera allow you to customize the toolbar? That basic feature was what originally convinced me to leave Netscape for IE.

Or perhaps someone can point to a URL with a hack for disabling the MSN integration...?

Posted by JS @ 08/30/2001 12:54 AM EST

I am so glad for this discussion! I've been on this for awhile now. Why do people always use IE eventhough they complain so much? What's wrong with Opera? I haven't tried Mozilla or any of the others, but I've been using Opera for the past 4 months now and it is absolutely GREAT! Though I browse the net so much, I haven't seen any site that was not supported by the browser. Those who have used its earlier versions always said that it didn't support CSS, JS, etc. but now it's latest version does apparently! Our companies site uses both and it appears fine with Opera. And you don't get redirected to MS to see their BS everytime your finger hits the wrong key or something!

So here I will ask again, what will it take to have people quit IE and use anything else? I mean MS is already ruling our lives on the net (ok well almost), and WE ALL complain, but instead of thinking of ways to go to a different browser, people find excuses not to... I don't know, maybe it's because I don't like to be ruled and directed to something I didn't ask for that I am an anti-MS person... but I am NOT using IE for any other reason than Usability Testing or QAing our sites...

Can anybody comment on this? Can we have a browser reform you think?

Posted by Berna @ 08/30/2001 08:45 AM EST

Here's a serious usability problem posed by IE's MSN hijacking of my browser... I have crappy DNS reliability, which frequently means sites like WebWord produce DNS errors. Whenever this happens I just hit 'Reload' and I connect to the site. But now because of Microsoft, I end up at an MSN page with a different URL. Hitting 'Reload' just reloads the MSN page.

Posted by JS @ 08/30/2001 08:59 AM EST

Microsoft is pure evil, but lucky for us we can DEACTIVATE the auto MSN search 'feature'.

In your IE browser go to "Tools" > "Internet Options..." then click on the "Advanced" tab. Then scroll down to the "Search from the Address bar" section. There you will find a number of options under "When searching". Click on the option that says "Do not search from the Address bar". Finally close the window by clicking on the "OK" button.

I hope this works for everyone...

Posted by Ben Bennett @ 08/30/2001 10:11 AM EST

You can search different search sites from the Address bar with IE (like Mark's comment how "In Opera, for instance, I can type 'g microsoft is trying to control the internet' and hit return, and I am redirected to Google's results page immediately.") It's part of a set of tools called "Web Accessories" (originally called PowerToys when they were developed for IE4).

Web Accessories for IE5 (more info and download here)lets you search from the Address bar, toggle images from your button bar, right-click to open a frame in a new window, list all the images on a page, and do a lot of other neat geeky stuff. I haven't installed it yet (will download after I finish posting) but I used PowerToys with IE4 and it was great.

Granted, they could make this easier to learn about, or install it by default (it's only a 134k download), and I know that these functionalities are available on other browsers... but I'm sure there are many people like myself who have no choice over what browser they use because their corporate IS department standardizes things. So, until the standard install includes Opera or NN6 (or, more likely, IE6), I'm stuck with IE5.5 -- better make the most of it.

Of course, it would be nice if they came up with a similar set of functionalities for IE5/Mac, which I use at home and enjoy much more. It would be nice to have the Google toolbar for that platform, too. The browser button/bookmarklets are nice, but not enough for me...

Posted by .jeff. @ 08/30/2001 11:02 AM EST

This feature appears in IE5.5 as well - it's nothing new. They've simply updated the server-side code so that someone typing in "www.yaho.com" is offered a link to "www.yahoo.com" on a list of suggestions. Believe it or not, this is genuinely appreciated by many non-technical users (ie: "those unaware of how to even blog") - no matter how much you and I both dislike it. I find it *very* annoying (while my grandma does not), so I disable Searching from the Address Bar on all my boxes. The feature is "On" by default because it really does provide benefit to 40+ million users who don't know (and don't want to know) tech details. They just want their computers to "frickin' work" and when things don't go as planned, a list of possible fixes is almost always appreciated. And it can even be switched off for your convenience as well. This constitutes having you by "your balls"? It's a reasonable compromise when you consider that Joe EndUser wants (and sometimes even needs) conveniences & props that are sure to annoy Bill WebHead. So why all the belly-aching about an old feature you've always had the ability to disable anyways? If there wasn't an "Off" switch, now that would be a different scoop altogether...

Posted by MF @ 09/07/2001 09:46 PM EST

I've found that Opera has limited JS support. That's why I don't use it. However, Mozilla 0.93 seems to work fine for me, despite a few quirks here and there.

I like how I can type a search, hit the down arrow, and it will search Google (or whatever search engine you choose). If you don't hit the down arrow though, it searches Netscape automatically, so it's exactly like the IE/MSN thing.

Posted by rick @ 09/09/2001 02:26 PM EST

I simply can not understand why everyone is so deadset on dumping on IE...

first of all, all the complaints made sofar are all about configurable options. Yesy!, that's right, they can be turned on/off. Learn how to use the damn thing and configure it the way /you/ want it to behave...it's not /that/ difficult ya know, just like switching channels on yer tv (or it must be that even that is to difficult for most)

For instance, has anyone complaining about IE's default search pages ever taken the bother to click the options button in the searchbar? You oughta try it some day...you'll be amazed what's possible there...

There are also loads of sites that carry tools to modify and even replace the default pages for things as DNS errors, y'all know how to use search engines, not?

Or the comments how Opera has this and that on it's toolbar/in menus...welll. I got news for y'all. IE has these too, albeit they don't come standard, granted, but they's still available. So no complaining if you don't go out and get what you need please...

Now, I don't deny IE has quircks, but all browsers have quirks, and sofar, only NN6 comes the closest to being a standard supporting browser...for me, I can't wait until the day the web starts sending all 4.x browsers to a downloadpage for the series 6.x browsers...at least then we don't have to keep coding html in a gadzillion flavors to support deadweights like IE4,NN4/Opera4.

And if you don't like all the thrills'n frills, go download Lynx...

Posted by Raj Gabrielse @ 11/16/2001 06:43 AM EST

Non Opera site:

Hi there, I just found the some above comment that Opera supports every single page...well, here's an exception: http://www.cdcovers.cc
Anyway Opera 6 is a very nice piece of browser, but alone it wouldn't work for me. I need IE6 sometimes. BTW, thats not the only site that doesn't work :)

Yo,

Emil

Posted by Gruenbaer @ 01/04/2002 08:13 PM EST

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